On Friday, April 19, Taylor Swift fans were treated to a surprise double album as the “Anti-Hero” singer released The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. Across the 31 tracks, Swift name-drops many artists including Charlie Puth, Stevie Nicks, and even herself. Believed to be a song about her previous relationship with The 1975‘s Matty Healy, she also mentions pop-punk legends The Startling Line in her track, “The Black Dog.”
In a recent post, the band reacted to being named on the album. They said, “Dear Taylor, We heard the song, thank you for name checking our band. We feel flattered and humbled by the reverberations of love that have come back to us as a result.”
They continued, “It’s an honor to have TSL memorialized on such a lovely song. You didn’t have to do that, but you did, and we appreciate it wholeheartedly. Respect!”
Now, of course, this comes as no surprise because Swift is definitely an elder emo. Just think of her performing “Two Is Better Than One” with Boys Like Girls and collaborating with Fall Out Boy for “Electric Touch.”
“The Black Dog” Lyrics:
I am someone who, until recent events
You shared your secrets with
And your location, you forgot to turn it off
And so I watch as you walk
Into some bar called The Black Dog
And pierce new holes in my heart
You forgot to turn it off
And it hits me
I just don’t understand how you don’t miss me
In The Black Dog, when someone plays “The Starting Line”
And you jump up, but she’s too young to know this song
That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming
Old habits die screaming
I move through the world with a heartbroken
My longing state unspoken
And I may never open up the way I did for you
And all of those best-laid plans
You said I needed a bravе man
Then proceeded to play him
Until I believed it, too
And it kills me
I just don’t understand how you don’t miss me
In the shower and remember how my rain-soaked body
Was shakin’, do you hate me?
Was it hazing for a cruel fraternity?
I pledged, and I still mean it
Old habits die screaming
Six weeks of breathing clean air
I still miss the smoke
Were you makin’ fun of me?
With some esoteric joke?
Now I wanna sell my house
And set fire to all my clothes
And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons
Even if I die screaming
And I hope you hear it
And then I hope it’s shitty in The Black Dog
When someone plays “The Starting Line”
And you jump up, but she’s too young to know this song
That was intertwined in the tragic fabric of our dreaming
With tail between your legs, you’re leavin’
I still can’t believe it
‘Cause old habits die screaming
